Some gifts you can give this Christmas are beyond monetary value: Mend a quarrel, dismiss suspicion, tell someone, “I love you.” Give something away–anonymously. Forgive someone who has treated you wrong. Turn away wrath with a soft answer. Visit someone in a nursing home. Apologize if you were wrong. Be especially kind to someone with whom you work. Give as God gave to you in Christ, without obligation, or announcement, or reservation, or hypocrisy.

~~ () ~~ () ~~ () ~~

Nothing But A Child (Audio only)

Nothing But A Child - YouTube

Once upon a time
In a far off land
Wise men saw a sign
And set out 'cross the sand
With songs a praise to sing
They traveled day and night
With precious gifts to bring
They were guided by a light

They chased a brand new star
Ever towards the west
Across the mountains far
And when it came to rest
They scarce believed their eyes
They'd come so many miles
The miracle they prized
Was nothing but a child

Nothing but a child
Could wash those tears away
Or guide a weary world
Into the light of day
Nothing but a child
Could help erase those miles
So once again we all
Can be children for a while

Now all around the world
In every little town
Every day is heard
A precious little sound
And every mother kind
And every father proud
Looks down in awe to find
Another chance allowed

Nothing but a child
Could wash those tears away
Or guide a weary world
Into the light of day
And nothing but a child
Could help erase those lines
So once again we all
Can be children for a while

Nothing but a little baby
Nothing but a little baby
Nothing but a child

~~ () ~~ () ~~ () ~~

Years ago, I had Reader’s Edition, where people could share, their Christmas experiences. Here are 2 of their stories. I thanked them then, I thank them now. Because of a change in circumstances, the next 2 days will be just quotes, song and story ~~ Marilee

from Sandy

I'll never forget the year I delivered a package for a relative. We were visiting my sister and she told me about a family that lived nearby for whom they had prepared a Christmas package. The father in the family was unemployed and they were really struggling. My sister's family decided to take all of the money they would have spent on their own Christmas and provide for this family. She didn't want them to know who the gift was from though and trusted me - a total stranger to the area to deliver the items. My dh and I loaded the food and gifts into our car and headed for the address. After several wrong turns, we found the small home and carried the boxes of gifts to the porch, then rang the doorbell. A tired, sad looking young woman answered the door. As she looked at the boxes and saw they contained food, she began to cry, their cupboards were truly bare. The house was cold because they only heated it enough to keep the pipes from freezing. There was no money for more heat. I couldn't help but notice that she had taken wrapping paper and cut the shape of a Christmas tree out and taped it to the wall. There were three small gifts under the "tree" which looked like candy bars wrapped up.   This mother was trying. Over and over through her tears she kept repeating that she didn't know anyone cared... Then, just as were leaving asked once again who the wonderful person was who had done all this for a "single mom" and her family.. A single mom? What did she mean? With that we realized we had taken the gifts to the wrong house. We didn't know what to do...there was no way we could take those gifts back. We told her that God knew her needs and to thank him. -That the giver hadn't been sure of sizes, so if anything didn't fit to exchange things for the correct sizes at the local Kmart. My husband pulled out his wallet and gave her money for the power bill, then walked over and turned the heat up and told her that no one should be cold at Christmas. We returned to my sister's not knowing what she'd say or do and told her family what happened. They were stunned, but decided that the gifts had gone to the right people all along, people who needed to know that someone cared. The original family in their neighborhood received many gifts from other people that Christmas. Their stockings were full-and so of course were the stockings of the little family God led us to.

From Julie

In 1978, I was 15 years old and head over heels in love with a 17-yr old neighbor boy. His name was Allen. He was tall, blond and gorgeous. I tried all fall to get him to notice that I was not just Jim's "kid" sister anymore. I was all grown-up. It took several months of scheming and plotting to "accidently run into him," but he finally noticed me just in time to invite me to the Christmas Ball at our High School. I was so excited when he asked me out! FINALLY!!! I ran home all excited to tell my mother and to go shopping for a dress for my first date. There was just one problem. My Dad. He didn't allow us to date until we were 16 and I was not going to be 16 until 10 days after the dance. 10 days wouldn't matter. I was sure of that. Well, it did. Dad told me that I couldn't go and our house became an armed camp, me vs. him.  I was "never going to speak to him again in my whole life" and he was not going to back down. On the morning of the 22nd of December, the day of the dance, I broke down and begged my Dad one last time to let me go. I'd "never ask for anything ever again in my whole life if he would just let me go." Dad said that he loved me enough to say "no, there's a reason for the rule and there will be other dances." I screamed at my dad that I hated him and that I would never forgive him. He told me that he even loved me enough for that. Why those 10 days were so important, I'll never understand, but obviously they were important to him. I even screamed at my mom that I hated her for agreeing with him and ran out of the house to go to school, even though school didn't start for almost an hour. About 35 minutes into my first period class, the principal came to the door. He pulled me out of class and explained to me that my Dad had been in an automobile accident on the way to work that morning. He was badly injured. Principal Harding took my brother and me to the hospital. All the way there I sobbed that it was my fault. When I got to the hospital, they were taking him into surgery. All day, my mom, brothers and I sat in the waiting room and cried. Dad lived through the surgery, but it didn't look good. For two days we sat there, hoping and praying that he would live. Mom tried to comfort me. She said that Dad knew I didn't mean it, but that didn't help. 48 hours later Dad still hadn't regained consciousness. The doctors told us that the longer he was in a coma the less the chance there was that he would ever come out. The night of the 24th, I made a lot of impossible promises to God. I reminded him what a good, honorable man my father was, how much he loved his children, how fun he was, what a great dancer he was, and on and on. I told God that I wasn't good for much so to please take me instead - let my Dad live. I prayed most of the night for God to work a miracle. Shortly after 5:00 a.m., the nurse from the hospital called, we were to come immediately. Expecting the worst, we gathered round his bed for prayer. Then I received the best gift I've ever had. My Dad opened his eyes, squeezed mama's hand and fell back asleep. Nothing has ever matched the joy of that moment. I received the greatest gift in the world, the chance to say "I'm sorry" and to keep some of those impossible promises I made. Dad was right about the dances. And as for Allan, he's still tall, blond and gorgeous. I married him in1983.